1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic cigarettes. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic cigarette with an internal liquid reservoir.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic cigarettes have become increasingly popular in recent times. Electronic cigarettes emulate a tobacco cigarettes, but without the combustion of tobacco during use. Rather than burning tobacco, a liquid is atomized within the electronic cigarette, which emulates the smoke produced in a tobacco cigarette. The liquid may contain flavoring agents such as tobacco flavor, menthol, and others, to enhance the “smoking” experience of the electronic cigarette. Nicotine has been added to the atomization liquid in prior art electronic cigarettes. In certain prior art electronic cigarettes, a reserve of liquid is stored within the cigarette housing in a porous material, which is placed into contact with an atomizing assembly such that the liquid can be gradually transferred to the atomizing assembly during consumption. A replaceable cartridge with a liquid soaked porous material has been provided to enable consumers to replenish the supply of liquid as it is depleted during use by replacing the cartridge. It should be appreciated that the structural and electrical components in an electronic cigarette are durable and outlast, by a long measure, the period of consumption for the quantity of liquid provided in such a porous reservoir.
Consumers of electronic cigarettes are experienced at replacing the liquid reservoir cartridges as the liquid is depleted during consumption. In fact, it is common for consumers to carry spare cartridges so that they are readily available in the event their current cartridge becomes depleted. In fact, this arrangement can become somewhat tedious after a period of use, and there is a general desire on the marketplace to extend the duration of use between cartridge changes, or even the elimination of the need to ever change cartridges. Thus is can be appreciated that there is a need in the art for an apparatus for increasing the quantity of liquid stored within an electronic cigarette and other means to reduce the frequency of replacing or adding additional liquid during use.